Water massage mechanisms are ordinarily provided as a part of the physical construction of a bathtub or vessel and generally incorporate a pumping system that obtains water from the tub or vessel and pumps such water at relatively high velocity, causing the water to emerge at one or more outlet openings constructed in the tub or vessel. Water massage mechanisms have found favor for therapeutic purposes in that patients requiring water massage therapy for treatment of anomalies of the joints, muscles, etc. can be treated therepeutically simply by resting within the water of the tub or vessel. The high velocity water emerging from the openings in the tub or vessel create turbulence in the water, causing the heat of the water to be more readily absorbed by the body of the patient. In some cases, patients are required to have therapeutic water massage treatment on a daily basis and such requirement restricts travel of the patient because water massage devices are not typically provided by commercial lodging establishments. It is desirable, therefore, to provide therapeutic water massage mechanisms that can be easily transported for utilization by patients requiring water massage therapy and also for utilization by persons desiring the relaxing effects of water massage systems while traveling.
Water massage devices have been developed for utilization in conjunction with conventional bathtubs and are generally constructed to locate a water outlet portion thereof at one end of conventional bathtubs, i.e. typically the bathtub end having water outlets and a drain. These devices are not considered truly portable but are merely designed for utilization in conjunction with conventional bathtubs, thus providing low cost water massage systems that are not permanent parts of the bathtub structure. In all known water massage devices utilized in conjunction with conventional bathtubs, water tubulence is created by water jets within the bathtub merely for the purpose of creating turbulent circulation of water within the bathtub, thus enhancing the heat transfer from the water to the person in the bathtub.
For therapeutic purposes, it is frequently desired that specific portions of the anatomy of patients be subjected to massaging for therapeutic purposes. For example, where water massage therapy is desired for treatment of joint problems involving the knees of a patient, it is desirable that localized water massaging be accomplished in order to obtain effective treatment of desired parts of the anatomy without adversely affecting other parts thereof. Since most presently available water massage systems of both static and portable nature merely create water turbulence in a bathtub or vessel, obviously localized water massage therapy is not possible when utilizing presently available water massage systems.
Accordingly, it is a primary feature of the present invention to provide a novel therapeutic water massage mechanism that is of portable nature and enables the user to obtain localized therapeutic massaging as desired.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide a novel portable therapeutic water massage mechanism that may be simply and efficiently transported by the user in order to enable use of the mechanism in homes, commercial lodging establishments, etc. during travel.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide a novel portable therapeutic water massage mechanism enabling the user to direct one or several high velocity jets of water at specific, desired parts of the human anatomy through selected control of water jets.
Among the several features of the present invention is noted the contemplation of a novel therapeutic water massage mechanism wherein a pair of spaced water distribution conduits are utilized for location along the inside side walls of conventional bathtubs enabling a person to repose between the water distribution conduits and wherein a plurality of water jets are spaced along the length of the water distribution conduits for the purpose of simultaneously directing jets of water at various selected parts of the anatomy on each side of the person reposing within the bathtub.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a novel portable water massage mechanism that requires no structural connection to a conventional bathtub or vessel, thus enabling the mechanism to be very simply installed and removed from the bathtub or vessel as desired.
Also included among the various features of this invention is the provision of a novel portable water massage mechanism that may be simply and efficiently broken down into sectional parts for ease of transporting during travel.
It is also a feature of this invention to provide a novel therapeutic water massage mechanism whereby the suction or discharge lines of the pump mechanism may be provided with an inline heating device in order to insure that the water exiting the water distribution jets is maintained at desired temperature for the purposes involved.
An even further feature of this invention is the provision of a novel therapeutic water massage mechanism that is of simple nature, is reliable in use and is low in cost.
Other and further objects, advantages and features of the invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described and, various advantages, not referred to herein, will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.